Competency Ruling Sought for Woman Accused in Teen’s Death

A competency hearing is being sought for a Kansas City, Kansas, woman who was running for public office when she was accused of hitting four high-schoolers with her car and killing one of them.

The Kansas City Star reports that Tamika Pledger is charged in Wyandotte County with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 17-year-old Tierra Smith. The teen died about a week after the January 2015 crash.

At the time, Pledger was running for the board that governs the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.

Court documents say Pledger sped to the area after receiving a call from her daughter about a fight that was about to occur. The charges don't allege that she intentionally hit the group, but that she was driving recklessly.